When She Looked At Me
by illaquiscribit
Summary: EPOV companion piece to my other story, I Believed Him. Bella changes Edward's life every time she looks at him. How much can he take? E/B, M just in case, Drabble-style.
1. Chapter 1

**This is the companion piece to my other new story, ****_I Believed Him._**** That one is in BPOV. This one is EPOV. Like the other, this is in the drabble-style. If you feel so inclined, leave me a review and/or follow me on Twitter: illaquiscribit.**

Little Bella Swan lived next door to us and she was always around. I can't remember her not being there.

Even when we were kids, she was quiet and didn't really talk to any one, however she was her father's daughter; she didn't stand for any bullshit. She watched me with one eyebrow raised, unfazed by my boisterousness or the loudness that came with being a six-year-old boy. There was never a time when I couldn't just be who I was with her – no matter who or what that happened to be at the moment, even a superhero.

With wide eyes full of tears, she asked me to save her doll. I gazed at the dark storm drain, scared I would slip through the hole and fall in, scared something with big teeth would come out and get me. But when she looked at me, eyes full of faith in me, I knew I could do it.


	2. Chapter 2

**This story is the companion piece to my first story, ****_I Believed Him_****. They post alternately (though not on weekends.) It is EPOV.**

**Chapter 2 - Five and Seven**

Bella followed me around everywhere I went. The park. The playground at recess. If I went to the monkey bars, she was right there behind me climbing up as high as I could. She did the same in my back yard. My dad built us a tree fort. It was awesome and high up and had a ladder and everything.

I was big enough to climb up and down easy as pie. Bella wasn't, but that didn't mean she didn't try. The problem was, she was just a little kid. She tripped over her own feet, even the flat floor. I don't know how she thought she'd climb up the ladder.

Of course she fell. I climbed down as fast as I could and looked up to the backdoor of my house hoping my mom didn't see. I was supposed to be watching Bella. Mom had told me not to go up in the fort because Bella would follow, but I'd left my slingshot up there and I wanted it. I wanted to show her how I could knock a pinecone off the fence.

"You can't go up there with me," I said, trying to shush her crying. I looked at her legs and arms and head. The ground was pretty soft because of all the rain and grass. It was perpetually squishy, really. That was good for me, and good for Bella. She didn't have any marks I could see.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because you're too little." I rolled my eyes. You'd think she should know this.

"Why?" Her voice was still wobbly with tears.

"Because you're not a grown up like me."

She eyed me suspiciously. "You're not a grown up."

"Am too." I crossed my arms over my chest and stared her down.

"Nah. Grown up do lots of stuff you can't do."

"Like what?"

"Like . . . Like . . . Drink coffee. My daddy drinks coffee in the morning before work."

I shrugged. "My momma lets me have some of her coffee sometimes."

"You can't stay up as late as you want."

"Can too. I don't have to go to bed until nine."

She didn't look convinced. "You don't drive. My mommy drives when we go to the grocery store. You can't do that."

I grinned. I had her licked for sure this time. "Uh huh. My dad lets me sit on his lap and drive all the way down the driveway." I didn't bother telling her he had to work the pedals for me because I couldn't reach. Besides the steering part was the fun part.

But she still wasn't buying it. There were tears still un-spilled on her long lashes. I wanted to make them go away. "I'll prove it. You stay here and don't move. I'm going to get you something if you promise to stop crying. Okay?"

She nodded.

I walked down to the corner store and bought her a sucker with the last quarter I had left over from my birthday money. I ran all the way back so my mom wouldn't notice I was gone.

I came in through the side gate and held the candy out to her. She'd stayed where I'd left her and quit crying, just like she promised. "Here," I said. "For you."

Her gaze traveled from the candy in my hand to see the truth of my offer in my eyes. When she looked at me with such awe, I felt ten feet tall, like I really was a grown up.


End file.
